Field fire threatens farmsteads near Giltner Sunday

A corn stubble fire whipped up by gusty winds burned about 200 acres of cropland and threatened four farmsteads on Sunday near Giltner. Fire chief Brad Consbruck says quick responses from Giltner and several surrounding fire departments as well as farmers who volunteered tractors and disks to get ahead of the flames, helped keep the damage to a minimum. 
According to Consbruck the fire started at about 2:20 Sunday afternoon when a tractor and shredder malfunctioned near the intersection of county roads 4 and D. He said the blaze, pushed along by winds estimated as gusting up to 20-30 mph, quickly moved through the fields toward the railroad tracks, causing firefighters to call for train traffic to be stopped through the area. He said the flames traveled over a mile before being stopped between roads E and F. The progress of the fire was stopped shortly after it jumped the tracks but not before a railroad bridge caught fire. However, Consbruck said the bridge fire was quickly put out and, after repairs were made by the railroad, trains were able to resume running on Monday. 
Consbruck said the fire came near to two of the four farmsteads that were in the path of the blaze, but there was no property damage reported other than the bridge. 
“It was hard to get out in front of it, so those guys are truly what saved the day!” Consbruck said of the local farmers who showed up to disk up fields in advance of the flames. “Hats off to those guys, they just showed up!”
The fire chief said he is also grateful for mutual aid from area fire departments including Phillips, Aurora, Doniphan, Trumbull, Hastings Rural and Harvard. Also responding was Aurora Ambulance and Aurora Coop sent a tanker of water for which he said he was grateful. 
Consbruck said his firefighters didn't return to the station until after 8 p.m., making for a long day.